Spring-wheel.



JOHN LEE, OF OELWEIN, IOWA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1910.

Application filed May 16, 1908; Serial No. 433,172.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN-LEE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Delwein, in the county of Fayettjefiand State of Iowa, haveinvented'a new and Improved Spring-Wheel, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description This invention relates" to springwheels, and'more particularly such as havea channeled inner or spokerim, outer sectional ing drawings forming a part of this specification,in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the figures.

Figure 1 is a long udinal section on the line l-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is across section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a side View ofone of the sections of the outer rim.

Before proceeding to a more detailed description of my invention, itshould be understood thatmy device obviates the necessity of usingpneumatic tires on vehicles, and thereby eliminates many of thedifficulties so common to that type of tire.

F urther, either a tire of solid rubber or other suitable material maybe used with my wheel, accordingto the conditions to be encountered, asmeans are provided whereby the tires mayv be easily detached.

In general, my spring wheel includes an outer sectional rim whosesections, are movably secured between the sides of a channelshaped spokerim. Located between the outer rii'n and the spoke rim are adjustablesprings for absorbing shocks caused by the irregularities of the road. ai The tire is arranged about the outer rim, and is securely held inposition by the outward pressure of the springs.

the sides of the i an opening 9. rnn and ad ustable resilient shockabsorbing eferring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents a hubhaving spokes 2 extending outwardly to an inner or spoke rim 3; thelatter is provided with radially extended sides at and 5 respectively.The side 5 is removably held in position by means of bolts 6 or thelike. Arranged. between spoke rim are the sections 7 of the outer rim,and each section being providedat its center with a guide 8 havingTransverse ribs 10 are l0 cated onthe-outer side of each section, thelatterbeing curved to conform to the curvature of the wheel tire. Theseribs are adapted to engage grooves in the inside of the tire 11 tosecure the latter against creep- Tirranged upon the inner faces of thesections are resilient yokes 12; each yoke extends rom one section toanother and has the ends sides of the guidesof the adjacent'sections.The extremities, of the yoke members are suitably laterally disposed forthis purpose. The arrangement is such that an end of a yoke member ispositioned at each side of each guide, and these adjacent yoke membersare pivotally connected by pins 14: extending through the openings 9 ofthe guides. Recesses 15 on the slcles of the spoke rim receive the .endsof the pins 14 to permit their moving freely, and act as guidewaystherefor. Plates 16 are rovided at the adjacent ends of the sections soas to form a bearing surface, and are seated in recesses in the tire.

Arranged between the yokes 12 and'the spoke rim 3, are leaf springs 17having sleeves 18 at their centers. ings 19 in the spoke rim areadjustable screws 20, the ends 21 of which enga e recesses inthe sleeves18. By rotating tie screms the springs may be a justed-to any suitabletension. A lock-nut 22 is provided on the shank of the screw for lockingthe latter in position.

It will be observed that each of the yokes has its ends bent inwardly,and pivotally connected to the end of the adjacent yoke. With thisconstruction when the central portion of the yoke meets with anobstruction, said central portion may bend in-' wardly, this movementbeing permitted by the manner in which its ends are connected swings onthe pivots 14, and away from the end of the yoke to which it isconnected. If the obstruction is at the point of pivotal con- Located insuitable opena nection, the pivot moves inward, which movement ispermittedv by the same construction, in this-case, however, theconnected inwardly bent ends swing toward each other, while in themovement previously described they move from each other or so arate. n

' HaViILg' thus-'descrLbedZ my invention, I

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters a rim having flanges onits sides, one of said resilient yokes carried by said sections andadaptedto extend from onesection to the. adjacent section, means forpivotally connecting the adjacent ends of yokes, said means engaging'saiguides, and

airs of said resilient shock absorbing means between said yokes and saids oke rim.

2. A 'vehiclewhee comprising a spoke rim having flanges onits sides, oneofsaid sides being removably secured in position,

an outer sectional' rim having its sections arranged between'the sidesof said rim and adapted to move radially, resilient yokes carried bysaidsections and extending from one section to the adjacent section, meansfor connecting the ad'acent ends of pairs of lie rim having radialsaidyokes, said spo guideways cont-rolling said last mentioned means andcushioning devices between the rims.

. 3. A vehicle Wheel comprising a spoke its sections arranged betweentwo subscribing Witnesses.

'sidesbeing removable, an outer sectional .yokes, said sides of said rimhaving recesses for receiving said projections of said connecting meansand constituting uideways therefor, and a tire arranged a out said outerrim.

4=. A vehicle wheel comprising a spoke rim having fiangeson its sides,an outer sectional rim, the sections having guides and being movableradially, resilient yokes carried by said sections, the adjacent nds ofeach pair ofsaid yokes being arranged on opposite sides of one of saidguides, members for pivotall connecting the adjacent ends of said yo esand adapted to pass through said guides, a tire arranged about saidouter rim, and. adjustable resilient shock absorbing means locatedbetween the sides of the spoke rim and engaging said yokes and said rim.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of JOHN LEE.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. Lucas, 0. C. STEBBINS.

